Petfinder » Kirstyn Northrop Cobb, guest contributor, Pit Bull Parenthttps://www.petfinder.com
Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on PetfinderFri, 31 Jul 2015 11:30:51 +0000en-UShourly1Pit Bull Parent: Squirrel Patrolhttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-squirrel-patrol/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-squirrel-patrol/#commentsThu, 29 May 2014 11:30:54 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=32639My dogs are in no way, shape or form guard dogs. We have people over often and they have become accustomed to people coming and going. We also foster often and new animals coming into the house are no longer anything exciting. Nope, guard dogs, they are not, unless you’re …

]]>My dogs are in no way, shape or form guard dogs. We have people over often and they have become accustomed to people coming and going. We also foster often and new animals coming into the house are no longer anything exciting. Nope, guard dogs, they are not, unless you’re a squirrel.

We don’t live in a heavily wooded area. In fact, we don’t have any trees in our yard at all. We do have 3 trees just outside of the fence line, though and they have become a congregation spot for local squirrels.

Every time my dogs run outside, they have a plan in mind. They do their business and then patrol for the squirrels. I have no idea what they think these squirrels are going to do. Are squirrel paratroopers going to invade the yard and take over the house? Are they planning to cut through the wires leaving us without the air conditioning that the dogs love to lay under? Do squirrels secretly know how to pick locks and they plan to use this knowledge to break in at night and eat all of the dog food? I have no idea what my dogs feel that these squirrels really have in store for us, but they are determined to protect us from whatever it is.

The funny thing is, my daughter once found an injured squirrel and brought it home. We kept it overnight so that it could go to a wildlife rescue the next day. My dogs were fine with that squirrel. Maybe it was because it was in the house? Maybe it was because that squirrel wasn’t a part of the Squirrel Militia that was planning a takeover. I have no idea. But, outdoors, squirrel patrol, all day, every day. Do I think that they will ever actually catch a squirrel, nope, not at all. The only one who stood a chance was Squeake, but she is older now and it looks like she is past that point in her life. But everyone else is stepping up in her place.

So, I’m going to let my dogs out now so that they can keep me safe from the squirrels and whatever they have planned.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-squirrel-patrol/feed/0Rover – Guarding Against SquirrelsPit Bull Parent: Changing Minds One Pit Bull at a Timehttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-changing-minds-one-pit-bull-at-a-time/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-changing-minds-one-pit-bull-at-a-time/#commentsThu, 15 May 2014 11:30:18 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=32477Looking back on things, I feel that I have changed minds just by doing one simple thing: bringing Gus home. Gus was not the first pit bull that I brought home, but he is the first one that I made a permanent resident. It was a little thing that I …

]]>Looking back on things, I feel that I have changed minds just by doing one simple thing: bringing Gus home. Gus was not the first pit bull that I brought home, but he is the first one that I made a permanent resident. It was a little thing that I put little to no thought into, but it had a larger impact than I ever expected.

My grandmother is terrified of dogs, all dogs. I don’t want to single out dogs, though. She’s also afraid of birds, snakes, mice, horses, cows… all animals, really. I once saw her stay in her house during a cookout because there was a squirrel in the adjoining yard. Needless to say, she has been less than enthused by my love of dogs (horses, pigs, cows, mice… all animals, really). When I brought home a pit bull, though, that one took the cake. She was horrified. She vowed to never come to my house again. She called my mother and complained that I had “that dog” in the house with my daughter and that something needed to be done about it. Mind you, when I brought him home, he was 2 days old and resembled a potato. But, still, she was so upset by it.

My mother made a big deal about it as well. Not so much in the same way, she wasn’t upset or frightened, but she would tell her friends “My daughter brought home a pit bull” with a nervous laugh. She wasn’t so nervous about the dog as much as public opinion.

In time, my mother realized that her friends don’t really care what kind of dog I have. My grandmother has realized that Gus is just like any other dog I’ve had, a loving family member. More importantly, a cousin of mine adopted a pit bull a few years back and no one said a word about it. And, as I’ve added more pit bull dogs to my family, no one has even blinked.

Has this act of adopting a pit bull changed the world? Absolutely not. But, did it change the way that my grandmother and mother view them. This is also not super exciting, but I’ve learned from speaking to others, my story is not the only one like this. In fact, this story is rather common. So, slowly but surely, pit bulls are changing minds everywhere just by being dogs and beloved family members.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-changing-minds-one-pit-bull-at-a-time/feed/0Pit BullPit Bull Parent: Size vs. Traininghttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-size-vs-training/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-size-vs-training/#commentsThu, 01 May 2014 11:23:47 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=32347I’ve always had larger dogs, even as a child. As a young child, we had shepherds and retrievers. When I was 16, I brought home a stray beagle. He was about 22 lbs and was the smallest dog that my immediate family had ever kept, until, just last year, when …

]]>I’ve always had larger dogs, even as a child. As a young child, we had shepherds and retrievers. When I was 16, I brought home a stray beagle. He was about 22 lbs and was the smallest dog that my immediate family had ever kept, until, just last year, when I adopted a senior poodle. I never gave the size of a dog much thought, but, recently, I realized that size does matter.

I’m going to get rather personal here. In fact, this may be the most personal article that I’ve ever written and, I warn you, it may not all be pretty, but this series is supposed to be about my life with pit bull dogs and I recently had an experience that made me wonder about my future with pit bull dogs, or any larger dog, really.

Recently, I donated a kidney. It’s a long story, but what it comes down to is that I had two functioning kidneys and there were people out there without any functioning kidneys, so I figured that I would send one out there to someone who needed one. The surgery is rather quick and by the next day, I was begging to go home as I was anxious to get back to my dogs. Finally, the doctors gave into my nagging and let me leave with VERY strict instructions not to lift anything over ten pounds and not to handle any dogs!!!! I may have considered these instructions to be more along the lines of suggestions and not actual rules. In fact, still on pain relievers, I talked my husband into stopping at a local shelter on my home from the hospital to pick out a dog from a local high volume shelter to take to my smaller shelter to help out the larger volume shelter on my way home. The dog has since been adopted and is in a wonderful home.

About half way home, the pain relievers started to wear off and I started to wonder about the dog in the car and my ability to handle her. From there, I started to think about my own dogs. Would I be able to handle them?

I do have a fenced in yard and knew that I could let them out instead of walking them. I also had my husband and daughter to help me out, so I wasn’t too worried when I signed up for the surgery. My dogs are trained and they should be OK. I got home and, as expected, no one jumped on me. I was given the sniff test and all was fine. I did go back to work two days after the surgery, but only for light desk work.

In time, I started to feel better. I figured that the “suggestion” not to handle dogs for six weeks was really a gross exaggeration and within two weeks, I was back to handling my dogs with no problem and then I got super cocky and started handling the shelter dogs who may not all have been as well trained as my own dogs. Then it happened. My incision opened up. Yep, open and kind of gross.

I was put on medication and went back to not handling dogs for a while. It made me think, though. When I get older, will it be more difficult for me to handle larger dogs? And if so, will I no longer be able to keep the muscular dogs with the big heads that I am attracted to?

Looking at my dogs, they were not much of an issue throughout my post operative ordeal and that’s because they are all trained dogs. I guess that only time will tell what I will be able to handle as life goes on, but I do really understand the need for training after this.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/05/pit-bull-parent-size-vs-training/feed/0beach and dressed up dogs 018phone pics 025Pit Bull Parent: I Love All Dogshttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/04/pit-bull-parent-i-love-all-dogs/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/04/pit-bull-parent-i-love-all-dogs/#commentsThu, 17 Apr 2014 11:30:22 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=32237I’m pretty thick skinned and not easily offended, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. And the other day, it happened. Someone called the shelter that I work for and asked about one of the dogs that we have available. I gave her a little info and then she …

]]>I’m pretty thick skinned and not easily offended, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. And the other day, it happened.

Someone called the shelter that I work for and asked about one of the dogs that we have available. I gave her a little info and then she said something that we hear often enough, but it’s like a punch to the gut every time I hear it. She said “But why is that kind of dog in a shelter? That kind of dog doesn’t deserve to be in a shelter”. I couldn’t ignore it and politely said “I don’t really feel that any type of dog DESERVES to be in a shelter, but sometimes things happen and dogs end up here”. Could the caller not have meant what she said the way it came out? Possibly. But we hear this way too often.

By now, you all know that I have a “type”. I love short haired dogs with big blocky heads. But, really, though I’m drawn to that type of dog, I love all dogs. After all, I have 6 dogs and only 3 of them are big block head dogs. So, though I’m a “Pit Bull person”, in all actuality, I’m a dog person.

I’ve seen people come through the shelter, volunteers even, who say that they love dogs, but not dogs of a certain appearance or even size. I often wonder how you can say that you love dogs, but only some dogs. I can understand not wanting to adopt a certain type of dog. For instance, I don’t feel that I would keep up with a dog that needed to be brushed often and therefore would be unlikely to adopt one, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like those dogs based on that fact alone. And I would NEVER feel that a dog that requires more grooming would deserve to be in a shelter. I would never, as a shelter worker, refuse to work with those dogs based on their appearance. It goes beyond that. Years ago, a dog bit me in the face. It was a larger dog and it had no problem fitting my face in its mouth. I fully admit that I would be a bit tense when I saw those dogs for a while. But, deep down, I knew that this was an isolated incident and do not hold it against that breed and I absolutely still interact with them. Please note that even as I write this, I will not name the breed as I feel that no breed should be singled out due to the actions of one dog.

You see, as a dog person, I love dogs. I love big dogs and little dogs. I love fuzzy dogs and short haired dogs. I love brown dogs and blue dogs and black dogs and white dogs. I love spotted dogs and I love brindle dogs. I love dogs. I look forward to a day when all dogs are viewed as just dogs and we see beyond breed or appearance. More importantly, I look forward when our shelters are empty as no dog ever deserves to be in a shelter.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/04/pit-bull-parent-i-love-all-dogs/feed/0IMG_5548001IMG_4677P1010422Pit Bull Parent: Rescue Dogs are Winners!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/04/pit-bull-parent-rescue-dogs-are-winners/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/04/pit-bull-parent-rescue-dogs-are-winners/#commentsThu, 03 Apr 2014 11:30:35 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=32076Last fall, I attended an event with my dogs. Among the vendors and activities, there was a weight pulling club. I was familiar with weight pulling, but hadn’t tried it. I have always been interested in canine sports and had even tried some, however, nothing competitive. Growing up, I rode …

]]>Last fall, I attended an event with my dogs. Among the vendors and activities, there was a weight pulling club. I was familiar with weight pulling, but hadn’t tried it. I have always been interested in canine sports and had even tried some, however, nothing competitive.

Growing up, I rode horses very competitively. That was all I did for years. Unfortunately, I sustained a back injury and though I still ride, the reconstructive surgery prevented me from continuing with competitions. In addition to that, my horse is 31 years old and probably not up for it anymore, either. Still, I’m an animal person and always looking for something to do with my animals. I dabbled in agility (a sport where the dog basically completes an obstacle course) with my shepherds, but hip dysplasia prevented up from going to far in the sport. I tried dock diving (dock diving is a sport where a dog dives off of a dock into a pool and is judged on distance) with my dog, Gus, but he just wasn’t that interested. So, when I came across the weight pulling exhibit, I was interested in learning more.

Weight pulling is a sport where the dog pulls a cart with weight on it. The dog is judged on the amount of weight pulled as well as the time that it takes to pull it. I did have concerns. After all, would this even be something that the dog would enjoy? I decided to let Jefferson give it a try. If he didn’t like it, we wouldn’t do it again. But, as it turned out, Jefferson loved it.

We joined a club. I was concerned about the possible effects this would have on Jefferson. I was worried about pushing him too hard and the possibility of him injuring himself. But he loved it! You could see it when he was done with a pull! He had a big happy smile on his face and he was full of energy!

So what did I do next? I had Gus and Gidget give it a try! Gus also loves it and is doing very well. Gidget, well, Gidget laid down on the course. She has not been back. It’s all about the dogs and if they aren’t enjoying it, well, then, we’re not going to have them do it!

We recently took Jefferson to his first competition. He was amazing!!! He won first in his division AND first in his weight group. But the real success is what happened off of the course. Many of the people there had dogs that they had purchased from a breeder specifically for weight pulling. But not Jefferson. Jefferson is a rescue dog from a shelter. Gus is also a rescue dog. They are not dogs who came from a breeder and were conditioned starting at an early age for this. I’m proud of my dogs for their accomplishments on the track, but I’m even more pleased that they are showing everyone that they are rescue dogs and winners!

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/04/pit-bull-parent-rescue-dogs-are-winners/feed/0IMG_5811IMG_5966Less Adoptable? I don’t think so!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/03/less-adoptable-i-dont-think-so/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/03/less-adoptable-i-dont-think-so/#commentsThu, 13 Mar 2014 11:30:10 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=31954If you work in rescue, you often open up your news feed or email and see pictures of animals in need of rescue or a home. I receive no less than 20 emails a day with homeless animals in need of a place to go. Many of these animals are …

]]>If you work in rescue, you often open up your news feed or email and see pictures of animals in need of rescue or a home. I receive no less than 20 emails a day with homeless animals in need of a place to go. Many of these animals are labeled “less adoptable” for some reason. I’m wondering, though, what makes these animals “less adoptable”?

We are often told that some animals are “less adoptable” based on something physical. For instance, we are often told that black dogs and pit bull dogs are more difficult to adopt out. Based on this, black pit bulls must be super difficult, one would think.

However, at the shelter where I work, our black pit bulls are adopted in no time. In fact, they are in our system for an average of 2 days before being adopted. I’m totally serious. Our black pit bulls fly out of the shelter.

I have spent a lot of time wondering why this is. What is so different about us? Well, we are in a rural area and people prefer larger dogs. We also have predominantly home owners and not renters, therefore we don’t have the size or breed concerns that some renters may have. But what I really think makes the difference is the way we see these dogs.

Last week, I brought in a black pit bull dog with a skin issue causing baldness into the shelter where I work. He was a 1 year old male and he had the most fantastic personality ever!!! He was such a sweetie, so eager to please, a big cuddle bug, great with other dogs and cats and just the nicest dog ever! I fell in love with him instantly. I was so excited that he came to my shelter and I would get to spend time with him every day. Well, that excitement was contagious. A family came in to look at dogs and I showed them around. When we got to him, I said “Look at this guy! Isn’t he the sweetest dog ever?”. I couldn’t conceal my excitement. It was so obvious that I was already in love with this dog. The family picked up on it right away and adopted him. He has since gone to a fantastic home. They have sent pictures and follow up emails and he is doing fantastic and is a great addition to their family.

Thinking back, as some may have seen this dog as “less adoptable”, they may have not have been as enthusiastic about having this dog in their system. If you’re not excited about the dog, how can you expect potential adopters to be excited? I don’t see animals as “less adoptable”. I see some animals as poorly marketed. After all, who would you rather adopt? A less adoptable dog that no one will want or THE GREATEST DOG EVER. Yep, that’s what I thought!

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/03/less-adoptable-i-dont-think-so/feed/0485286_10150716622123940_1301123567_nMoving Forwardhttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/moving-forward/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/moving-forward/#commentsThu, 27 Feb 2014 12:30:36 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=31848If you work with pit bull dogs long enough, the subject of dog fighting will come up. Let’s be honest, it has come up in the comments of this blog. It’s out there and people have strong opinions on it, so let’s get it out there. First off, dog fighting …

]]>If you work with pit bull dogs long enough, the subject of dog fighting will come up. Let’s be honest, it has come up in the comments of this blog. It’s out there and people have strong opinions on it, so let’s get it out there.

First off, dog fighting is a horrible form of abuse and it is absolutely a people problem, not a dog problem. My purpose is not to focus on the actual fighting, but on the dogs who are the victims.

For years, it was believed that dogs from these horrible and abusive situations should be put down. These dogs were not even given a chance. In 2007, all of that changed. In 2007, Michael Vick was charged with dog fighting. The case brought a lot of attention and Donna Reynolds and Tim Racer of BADRAP knew that if these dogs were ever to be given a chance, they had to step in. This move changed everything. They found that not only were these dogs adoptable, but many were friendly. Many of the dogs from this case have gone on to be therapy dogs and are family pets. What Donna and Tim did was not only change the world for these dogs, but they changed the world for future canine victims.

The first dog that I had come into my home from a dog fighting case was brought in quite a few years ago. I admit that I had concerns. After all, I read the reports before agreeing to foster the dog. I knew where this dog came from and I had serious concerns that I would not be qualified to care for the dog. But, I decided to give it a try and see what I could do. The day that we were to pick up the dog, I loaded my teenage daughter into the car and we headed out. I would like to take this time to point out that my daughter is super dog experienced and I trust her instincts and abilities more than most adults that I have worked with. We drove down to the location where the dogs were being kept and met the dog who was to be sharing our home for the next few weeks until she was able to be adopted. She was a sweet little thing, black and white and a submissive grinner. I do love a dog who smiles! At the location, her name was Dog #33. She was calm and quiet and seemed a bit confused as we led her out and into the car, but she came willingly. We started the drive home, but before we could proceed and leave her old life behind, the label “Dog #33” had to go. We stopped at a local pet store and purchased her a proper collar with a proper name tag with an actual name. We soon arrived at our home and we knew that dog interactions were next up. Gidget is my test dog. Gidget is appropriate with all dogs and always comes out first. The new dog was nervous, but warmed up quickly. Within no time, they were buddies. She fit right in. I was concerned about adopting her out. After all, people may be concerned about her past. But, in no time, a family with 2 adults and a cat fell in love with her. I did feel the need to disclose everything, so I told them where she had come from. The family sat there for a bit and then said “Well, all that and she came out smiling”.

Throughout the years since that first one, many more dogs from similar backgrounds have come through my home. Each and every one of them has found an amazing forever home. So, when the story broke last summer that one of the largest dog fighting cases to hit the US was in progress, I was sure that it was just a matter of time until I received a call. Eventually, that call came and I was happy to bring dogs from the 367 case (as it would come to be known) into my home. I knew that we would make it work and the dogs would be fine. What surprised me, though, is how much has changed. Remember, with the first dog, I was a little apprehensive and had some concerns. But, with these dogs, I had more of a “just another group of fosters” way of thinking. What’s really amazing is that I wasn’t the only one with this mentality. When seeking out additional fosters, I had no difficulty finding people. In fact, I found quite a few people. We’ve just recently gotten to the point that we are able to start adopting these guys out and not only am I finding wonderful families to adopt, but the community support has been overwhelming. We are finally reaching a point where these dogs are seen for what they are: victims of abuse who have moved on from their past and are ready to be loving family pets!

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/moving-forward/feed/01969320_10152001790548940_1332529806_n487427_10201636186859540_224980104_n1441376_709577442393483_402292020_nPit Bull Parent: When is it Time?https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/pit-bull-parent-when-is-it-time/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/pit-bull-parent-when-is-it-time/#commentsTue, 11 Feb 2014 10:00:26 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=31329With the holidays recently, we were spending more time with family. My dad lives about an hour away and we headed to his place the other day to visit with him. He has 2 dogs, an older dog and a younger dog. The older dog is a medium sized dog …

]]>With the holidays recently, we were spending more time with family. My dad lives about an hour away and we headed to his place the other day to visit with him. He has 2 dogs, an older dog and a younger dog. The older dog is a medium sized dog and she’s about 15 years old. His younger dog is a 2 year old, large, fuzzy, bouncy fool.

Anyway, his 15 year old dog has been slowing down for some time now. She has some arthritis. She’s thinning quite a bit. And, the other day, we noted a large lump that was open and oozing. Sorry to those who are grossed out by this stuff.

Such a sweet dog!

He had taken her to the vet and was told that the lump is cancerous, however, given her age and other factors, there were concerns about putting her under and removing it, so my dad brought her home and the lump remains.

This got me thinking about the end of life proceedings. Personally, I don’t want to suffer. Call me wimpy, but when I am no longer comfortable and I hurt all the time, I don’t feel that I would want to go on. Admittedly, I’m not there yet and things may be totally different once I do get to that point. It also got me thinking about my own dogs. Some of them are also older. I, too, have a 15 year old dog. When I feel that he is suffering, I am likely to have him euthanized. I will take him in to my veterinarian and I will stay with him throughout the whole thing. I don’t want him to be alone and I want him to know that I am there for him. It also got me to thinking about how I will know when it is time.

Looking at my dad’s dog, she does not appear to be the picture of health. However, if you look closer, she is still happy. She wags her tail, she begs for food, she comes up to people for attention. She’s a happy dog!

The decision to euthanize a beloved pet is a very personal one and one of the most difficult decisions that any of us will ever have to make. It weighs a lot on us as our pets start to age. It weighs on us as we make that final trip to the vet. It weighs on us for a great deal of time afterwards. I know that it is a compassionate decision and a selfless one. But that does not make it any easier.

For now, my dads dog is doing well, but I know that soon, he will have to make that decision. My heart goes out to him when he does as it does to everyone who has to have a pet put down. But for all of the sorrow that it causes, I take comfort in the good times that were had with the pet. Though the end is always so hard, the 15 or so years before hand were wonderful and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/pit-bull-parent-when-is-it-time/feed/0northrop-cobb-dog-seniorSuch a sweet dog!Esther the Wonder Pig!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/esther-the-wonder-pig/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/esther-the-wonder-pig/#commentsFri, 07 Feb 2014 13:00:27 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=31622If you haven’t seen Esther the Wonder Pig on Facebook yet, you have to check her out. You will fall in love. A warm and fuzzy feeling will overwhelm you and you will soon find yourself wondering what Esther is up to throughout your day and showing pictures of her …

]]>If you haven’t seen Esther the Wonder Pig on Facebook yet, you have to check her out. You will fall in love. A warm and fuzzy feeling will overwhelm you and you will soon find yourself wondering what Esther is up to throughout your day and showing pictures of her to your friends and family. So, when I had the opportunity to interview Steve and Derek, the parents of Esther the Wonder pig, I was beside myself with joy!

Esther was brought home under the assumption that she was a “micro pig”. She had been advertised as a “micro pig” and her parents were told that she would be no larger than 60-70lbs. However, there is really no such thing as a “micro pig”. Micro Pigs are pigs that are either under fed or are falsely advertised. Pigs can start breeding as early as 6 weeks, so the mom pigs really are small, but, they are just babies themselves. Pot bellied pigs should be around 150lbs as adults. Domesticated pigs, such as Esther, should be closer to 700 lbs, sometimes more. Around 6 months, Esther’s parents started to question her status as a “micro pig”, but by then, they had fallen in love with her. Here is what they have to say about Esther the Wonder Pig and they journey that they have embarked on with her:

Q. At what point did you realize that she wasn’t going to stay small? What encouraged you to keep her and then go public with it?

A. We started to have suspicions about Esther’s size at about 6 months. By then we had already fallen madly in love with her so getting rid of her wasn’t really an option in our minds. There were plenty of times I would sit with Esther and cry because I was so worried we wouldn’t have a choice but to get rid of her. Neighbors could complain, she could get too big to do stairs, her attitude could change and let’s be honest, size could be an issue and at some point. Once we got to know her there was just something really hard to explain. She’s family in every sense of the word and she’s wasn’t going anywhere no matter what.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish with her story?

A. We want people to know Esther. The personality you see. Her smile, her intelligence, her playfulness and her want for attention.
We also want people who are thinking of getting a pet pig to do as much research as possible and think again. We had no idea what we were in for with Esther. We we’re told 70-80lbs max! If you absolutely want a pig, please consider a rescue from a local sanctuary. Thousands of pigs are abandoned every year because their owners didn’t know what they were getting themselves into and that’s why we want to open a sanctuary of our own as soon as possible. It’s a huge problem and people get taken advantage of like we did all the time. Pigs can be too smart for their own good and require a lot of training and time in the early years. Esther seems to be really well settled but she is still a handful. You also have to keep in mind even a smaller potbellied pig will be well over 100lbs of muscle, if they want to go somewhere, they’re going!

Q. What have you learned from Esther?

A. We learned really quickly that they are unbelievably smart. Esther loves to be cuddled and scratched, even now as you’ll see on our Facebook and YouTube videos. She’s very affectionate, she has been completely house trained, does a few tricks for her treats. The list is endless. She has a personality like no animal we’ve had the pleasure of knowing. We also learned a lot of things that I guess we always knew but tried to ignore. Knowing Esther and how sensitive and aware she is really opened our eyes.

Q. What has been the response from friends and family?

A. Everyone has been really, really supportive.

Q. Can you tell me a little bit about her personality?

A. Her personality is hilarious; she’s like a little person. She has mischievous days when she wants to explore every inch of the house or play and wrestle, but she often just wants to cuddle and sleep with us on the couch. She almost always comes to find someone when she wants a nap. She prefers to nap with us or the dogs. She’s a lot of fun to be around, there’s never a dull moment that’s for sure.

Q. What is it about Esther that makes you fall in love with her?

A. What I said above, her hilarious personality. We always have to be one step ahead of Esther because she’s just so clever. She has an amazing memory and has even taught herself how to open doors, cupboards and the fridge. She keeps us on her toes like you wouldn’t believe. When you get to know Esther you also see very quickly that there’s something about her eyes that is really hard to explain, they’re almost human. There’s a huge satisfaction knowing that we quite literally saved her life. What she gave us in return was just as life altering. She completely sucks you in, it’s impossible not to fall in love.

I strongly encourage you to check out Esther the Wonder Pig on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/estherthewonderpig As always, we strongly encourage everyone to do their research before adopting an animal, any animal. If you do feel that you are ready to bring a pig into your home, though, please check out some of the many available pigs right here on Petfinder.com

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/esther-the-wonder-pig/feed/01604685_528833333890562_1522081421_n1517600_523334304440465_1196382921_n1551729_524070044366891_426787999_nPit Bull Parent: The Truth about Transportshttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/01/pit-bull-parent-the-truth-about-transports/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/01/pit-bull-parent-the-truth-about-transports/#commentsWed, 29 Jan 2014 23:39:17 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=31164At least once a week, I go to area shelters and take some of their dogs to a rescue that I work with. I love working with other shelters. I love the partnerships and I love that everyone is working together to make better lives for the animals. The other …

]]>At least once a week, I go to area shelters and take some of their dogs to a rescue that I work with. I love working with other shelters. I love the partnerships and I love that everyone is working together to make better lives for the animals.

The other weekend, I went up to an area shelter that was reaching out for help as they were pretty full. A friend wanted to join me and I had no problem with that. As far as I was concerned, it was going to be just like any other rescue, and for me, it was.

I come across those videos of rescues. The videos that have been edited to make the video shorter, but when doing so, they take out a lot of what happens during these rescue trips. You see the person going into the shelter. They see a dog, usually looking sad. They take the dog out to their vehicle and the dog is super happy and then you see the dog being adopted .Many of us have seen those rescue videos. They’re great and look at those happy dogs! But, they leave out some things.

Back to this past weekend. I took my friend up to the other shelter with me. We picked out our dogs, just two this time. We picked out a big stocky guy and a tall thin guy. The stocky guy was happy the whole time. The thin guy was a bit more reserved and timid. I have my car all set up for transporting dogs. I keep the back gated off and I keep extra leashes and collars in the car. I have beds laid out for the animals. I have toys available to them. Yep, my car is basically a dog car!

We put the big stocky guy in the back and put the timid guy up front. Big stocky was super happy to be in the car. Timid guy, not so much. Still, everyone was well behaved. My friend, who is with a small rescue, was a bit overwhelmed with the larger shelter and all of the animals. Still, she was happy to get these dogs and load them up. On the way home, big stocky drooled quite a bit. Not from nausea, he is just a drooler. We were both hungry, so we stopped for a bit of food on the way. We also got something for the dogs. Big stocky gobbled his up right away and went back to drooling. Timid guy ate some of his and promptly vomited it back up. I was not concerned. This was not the first dog to get car sick in my car and it wouldn’t be the last. However, my friend was just overwhelmed by the whole thing.

Eventually, we got the dogs back to the rescue. We took pictures for petfinder.com and gave them some dinner and put them to bed. Did it all happen like it does in the super uplifting videos? Nope. I still have trace amounts of vomit in my car and I have no doubt that I ate dog hair along with the food that we stopped for. But, the dogs are on their way to finding forever homes and I wouldn’t have it any other way!